THE 10 MOST IMPORTANT ANIMALS OF THE ECUADORIAN JUNGLE - BIOLOGY - 2025

Among the main animals of the Ecuadorian rainforest, the capybaras, tapirs, peccaries, dolphins, bats, giant catfish, piranhas, freshwater crabs, scarlet parakeets and mountain turkeys stand out.

The Amazon region is the part of the country that comprises a portion of the Amazon rainforest, the largest tropical forest in the world.

Although Brazil is internationally known as the main country of the great South American jungle, the Amazon forest covers about 120 thousand square kilometers of Ecuador, which has been almost half of its 280 thousand square kilometers of total area.

This region has a great variety of mammals, birds, aquatic animals and other specimens.

The jungle contains a wide selection of mammals. Wild boars, anteaters, bats, giant rodents, and monkeys live in this ecosystem.

Although the tropical forest is in the interior of the continent, there is an impressive variety of aquatic animals that survive in its immense rivers.

Dolphins, giant catfish, piranhas, and freshwater crabs are some of the most amazing.

The most famous bird in the Amazon region is undoubtedly the scarlet parakeet, but other less colorful birds are also found, such as the mountain turkey.

The 10 main animals of the Ecuadorian jungle

1- The capybara

The capybara is the largest rodent in the world. He has brown and gray hair and a robust body.

It can also be said that it has something similar to the otter, especially when you consider that it lives on the banks of rivers and spends a lot of its time swimming.

2- The tapir

The tapir is another mammal that likes to spend a lot of time in the water. It is dark gray in color and has a distinctive trunk. Like the pig or hippopotamus, it has a very short coat.

This animal is coveted by locals for its meat that is said to be tasty. Overhunting is one of the factors that has put it on the list of endangered animals.

3- The peccary

Many people mistake the peccary for a pig or wild boar. Although it looks like a wild pig, this animal is from a family of mammals other than pigs, which come from Europe.

4- Bats

There are several species of bats that inhabit the jungle of Ecuador. More than a hundred species can be found in the tropical forest.

5- The dolphins

Amazonian dolphins are pink in color and are fierce aquatic predators.

They are the largest river dolphins in the world and are found in all the large rivers in the area.

6- The giant catfish

The giant catfish that lives in the Amazon basin has many names; it is commonly known as Amazonian catfish or golden catfish.

It is an extremely large fish and can exceed two meters in length.

7- The piranhas

Piranhas are recognized worldwide as small carnivorous fish with great appetites. These fish can be found in the rivers of the Amazon region of Ecuador.

8- The freshwater crab

The freshwater crabs that live in the waters of the Amazon are small, which is why they are rarely used in dishes from the region.

Apart from various species of crabs, many types of shrimp can also be found in the fresh waters of the jungle.

9- The scarlet parakeet

It is known in Ecuador as the scarlet macaw, which is the local name for parakeets or parrots. This bird can measure about 90 centimeters and is made up of various colors.

It is sought after by traffickers for its high demand as a pet given the attractiveness of its shiny plumage.

When allowed to live in the wild, it feeds on fruits on the banks of Amazonian rivers and can live up to 60 years.

10- The mountain turkey

The mountain turkey is, unlike the scarlet parakeet, a solitary bird that lives in trees or shrubs.

It looks like a turkey, with the difference that its plumage is of many different colors.

References

1. Luis Tipan Travel. (2017). The Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador. Recovered from luistipan-ecuador.com
2. Ecuador Country Tricolor. (2017). Eastern region or Amazon. Recovered from sites.google.com
3. Cofan Lodge. (2017). List of Animals of the Ecuadorian Amazon. Recovered from cofanlodge.com
4. Aguilar, SA (April 15, 2013). The tapir that lives in the Bolivian Amazon attracts the interest of scientists from all over the world. Recovered soldepando.com
5. Zoological Foundation of Ecuador. (2017). Scarlet Macaw - Ara macao. Recovered from quitozoo.org